Carton having tear strip in cover flaps



Feb. 9, 1965 K. T. BUTTERY ETAL 3,168,975

CARTON HAVING TEAR STRIP IN covER FLAPs Filed Sept. 1l, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVEN TORS Feb. 9, 1965 K. T. BUTTERY ETAL 3,168,975

CARTON HAVING vTEAR `sTRP 1N COVER FLAPs Filed sept. 11, 196s 2 Sheets-sheet 2 I l l INVENTORS L fezzzze aef l (m0/.720mg Wander/@g J a y United States Patent O y 3,168,975 CARTON HAVENG TEAR STRH EN CGVER FLAS Kenneth T. Butter-ry and Thomas Vander Lugt, Jr., Kalamazoo, Mich., assignors to KVP Sutherland Paper Company, Kalamazoo, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. il, 1963, Ser. No. 3%08 1l Claims. (Cl. 229-51) The present invention relates to cartons, and is more particularly concerned with a carton having a tear strip provided in its cover flaps, which carton may be readily erected from an integral cut and scored blank and sealed shut by means of automatic machinery.

i Cartons having a so-called ip top cover hingediy connected to the edge of the rear panel, which may be erected with the cover in sealed condition and which may -be readily opened by the removal of a tear strip, have become exceedingly popular, particularly as containers for food items such as ice cream. Once the tear strip is removed, the cover may be opened for access to some or all of the contents, and may be reclosed for further storage until the contents have been completely consumed. Cartons of the type described which have been available in the prior art, although satisfactory in use, have the disadvantage that they are difficult to construct and seal on automatic machinery.

Prior art cartons are generally provided with an outer front Wall member integral with the cover of the carton, having its own flaps extending at the ends thereof. A tear strip is provided as an integral unit and extends from the end of one outer front wall ilap, across the outer front wall, and to the end of the opposite outer front wall Hap. Such a structure is difficult to construct into a carton from lan integral blank and requires expensive machinery for the purposes of erection and sealing.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a topopening carton which may be sealed and subsequently opened by the removal of a tear strip. It is another object to provide such a carton which may be readily reclosed when it is desired to store unconsumed contents. It is a further object to provide a carton of the type described which may be formed from an integral cut and scored blank. It is a still further object to provide a carton of the type described which can be readily erected and subsequently sealed by means of relatively simple and inexpensive machinery. The accomplishment of the foregoing and additional objects will become more fully apparent hereinafter.

The invention in its preferred embodiment is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a plan View of the cut and scored blank from which the carton is formed, viewed from the inside.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carton with a portion of the tear strip removed; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the carton with the tear strip completely removed, and with the cover partially open.

According to the invention, a carton is provided which may be formed from an integral blank, the cover of the carton having three cover aps, each of the cover naps having a separate tear strip formed therein comprised of spaced apart substantially parallel fracture lines. Two of the cover flaps are provided with terminal connecting aps for aixing to the adjacent cover flap. When adhesive material is provided in the proper areas, and the cover ilaps glued in place, a sealed carton may be formed having a continuous tear strip extending the entire length of the cover aps, and wherein the entire tear strip may be removed with a continuous tearing motion. Because of the particular type of construction, the carton may be readily alessia Patented Feb. 9, i965 ice erected, illed, and sealed with relatively simple and inexpensive machinery.

Reterence is now made to the accompanying drawings for a better understanding or the invention, wherein all of the parts are numbered and wherein the same numbers are used to refer to corresponding parts throughout.

In a preferred form, the carton of the invention is constructed from an integral blank as illustrated in PEG. l. The structure comprises a rear wall member Il, a bottom member 2, and a front wall member 3 -hingedly connected together at score lines. The rear wall member ll and the front wall member 3 have lock ilaps 4 and f5 hingedly connected at their ends. rhe lock iiaps 4 comprise lock tongues 6 and beveled heels 7. The lock flaps 5 comprise lock tongues S and beveled heels S. A pair of inner end Wall flaps i@ are hingedly connected at the ends or the bottom 2. Each outer end wall ilap is provided with engagement slits il and l2 positioned to engage the lock tongues 6 and 3 when the carton is erected. A cover 13 is hingedly connected to the rear wall l at a score line. Cover flap members comprising outer end wall members 14 and i6 and an outer iront wall member 315 are hingedly connected to the cover i3. Each cover flap is divided into three areas by a pair of spaced apart substantially parallel fracture scores 17, l and 19. The areas comprise glue strips 2li, 2l and 22, tear strips Z3, 24 and 25, and cover iiaps 26, 27 and 2S. Two of the cover flap members 14 and l5 are provided with terminal extension flaps 29 and 3) having parallel fracture scores 3l and 32 positioned as extensions of the fracture scores i7 and i8. Glue is applied to the blank, as shown by stippled shading in FIG. l, at the glue strips 20, 2l and 22, and at glue areas 33 and 34.

In assembling the carton, the lock tongues 6 and of the lock flaps i and 5 are inserted in the engagement slits 11 and 12 to form the body portion of the carton. This may be performed on conventional carton set-up machinery which is well known in the prior art and presently in use in commerce. The carton may then be filled with the desired contents. The cover i3 is then closed over the top of the carton. The glue strip Ztl of the outer end wall member i4 is then glued in position to its respective inner end wall member ll). The terminal extension flap 29 is then folded over the inner iront wall member 3. The outer front wall member l5 is then folded over the terminal extension flap 29 and the front wall 3, and the glue strip 21 is atlixed to the bottom or the iront wall 3. The glue area 33 which also covers a portion of tear strip 24 afxes 'the end of the outer front wall member l5 to the terminal extension ap 29, the tear strip thus being ail'ixed to the tear-strip extension 35 formed by the tracture scores 3l. The terminal-extension iiap 3% is then folded over the other inner end wall member' tu. The outer end wall member t6 is folded over the connecting flap 3l? and the inner wall member lt?. The glue strip 22 is glued to the inner end wall member l0 and terminal extension flap 30. The glue area 34 is glued to the terminal extension flap 3i?, the tear strip 25 thus being axed to the tear strip extension 36 formed by the `fracture scores 32. The result `is a completely enclosed and sealed carton, with the tear strip of the three cover flaps being secured together in alignment.

The structure and sequence of assembly described result in a carbon wherein the terminal extension flaps 29 and Sil extend in the direction of tear'. The lat-eral extension 29 is overlapped by and aiiixed to the cover ap member or outer front wall l5, and the terminal extension ilap 3d is overlapped by and atlixed to the cover ap or outer end wall lo. This insures the integrity of the tear strip as it is removed. For example, as the tear strip 23 is being removed and reaches the corner of the carton, the lateral extension 35 lifts the tear strip 24. Consequently, the glue bond connecting the tear strip extension 35 to the tear strip 24 is not stressed nearly as much as it would be if the arrangement were reversed. Even if the glue bond should fail, the lifting of the segment 23 will tear out the end of the tear strip 2.4i-, so that it can be subsequently grasped and removed. In contrast, if the end iiaps were to be folded in first, followed by the cover iiap i5, the glue joint would be the sole lifting means for the tear strip 24. As the tear strip roundw the corner, the tear strip extension 35 would .be engaged with section 2li only by its glue bond. This would place an undue stress on the glue bond and, in case of its failure, the tear strip 24 would remain intact and could be engaged and torn off only with ditiiculty.

rfhe carton is opened by engaging the tab 37 of the tear strip, as shown in FIG. 2. As a result of the structure described, the tear strips 23, 24 and 2S together with the tear strip extensions 35 and 36 form a unitary tear-strip structure. As a result, the entire tear-strip structure may be detached or ripped oit with a single operation. Once the tear strip has been removed, the cover may be readily lifted at one end and opened, as illustrated in FIG. 3. lf the contents of the carton are not immediately consumed, the cover may be reclosed and the carton stored until further use.

The fracture scores defining the tear strips may be formed by slits of any suitable configuration. However, in a preferred embodiment the slits are provided in the form of a V, each slit having a leg divergent with respect to the center of the tear strip in the direction of tear, terminating in a leg substantially parallel to the direction of tear and defining the outer boundary of the tear strip, the slit configurations on opposite sides of the tear strip preferably being staggered. Tear strips having fracture scores of this conguration tear readily and cleanly, and the line of tear is confined to its intended course. This is particularly important at the crease of the cover aps where they are adhered to the tear strips of the erminal extensions of adjacent cover llaps. ln the embodiment shown in the drawings the preferred conguration is provided only in the fracture scores of the cover iiaps proper, since this generally suihces. However, if desired the preferred configuration may also be used to provide the tear strips in the terminal extensions.

The carton of the present invention has an advantage over prior art cartons of a similar type in that it may be readily erected and closed by means of simple rnachinery. This is made possible by the sequence and structure provided in the cover and cover tiap members. To fully realize the advantages of the invention, it is important that only two connecting iiaps be provided at the corners where the flaps are joined. Moreover, in order to provide for a sequential closing of the flaps, one connecting flap must be provided at the forward edge of one outer end wall member, as for example connecting ap 2.9 at outer end wall member le. The other connecting iiap must be provided at the opposite end of the outer front wall member, as for example connecting iiap 30 at the end of outer front wall member i5. This permits cover flaps ifi, l and i6 to be folded over and glued sequentially. It is of course apparent that the structure could be reversed, with a connecting flap being provided on the outer end wall member 16 and another connecting ap being provided on the opposite end of the outer front wall member l5. This would enable the structure to be formed sequentially in the opposite direction.

The carton or" the present invention has a structure which renders it strong, rigid and capable of being readily assembled and sealed. It can be lled and scaled with simple and relatively inexpensive equipment, and eventually reopened by removal of a unitary tear strip structure. The material and labor cost of the carton is eti) 4 relatively low since it can be formed from an integral cut and scored blank.

lt is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction, operation, or exact materials or embodiments shown and described, as obvious modiiications and equivalents will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the invention is therefore to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. A carton formed of an integral blank cut and scored to provide a bottom member, a rear wall member, and an inner front wall member, end flaps attached lto said members, and means securing said end iiaps together, a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of said rear wall member and provided with cover aps comprising outer end wall members and an outer front wall member, two of said cover flaps having terminal extensions affixed to an adjacent cover ap, said cover iiaps and said terminal extensions each being provided with a pair of spaced-apart substantially parallel fracturing scores deiining a tear strip, said cover flaps being secured to said end tlaps and said inner front wall member below the lower of said fracturing scores, and the tear strips of said cover aps being adhesively secured together in alignment by the tear strips of said terminal extensions.

2. A carton comprising a bottom member, a rear wall member, and an inner front wall member, end aps attached to said members, and means securing said end flaps together, a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of said rear Wall mem-ber and provided with cover iiaps comprising outer end wall members and an outer front wall member, one of said outer end wall members having a terminal extension atiixed to an end of said outer iront wall member adjacent thereto, and the other end of said outer front wall member having a terminal extension aiiixed to the outer end wall member adjacent thereto, said cover naps and said terminal extensions each being provided with a pair of spaced-apart substantially parallel fracture scores defining a tear strip, said cover flaps being secured to said end aps and said inner front wall member below the lower of said fracture scores, and the tear strips of said cover naps being secured together in alignment by the tear strips of said terminal extensions.

3. A carton formed of an integral blank cut and scored to provide a bottom member, a rear wall member, and an inner front wall member, end flaps attached to said members and means securing said end ilaps together, a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of said rear wall member and provided with cover flaps comprising outer end wall members and an outer front wall member, one of said outer end wall members having a terminal extension atiixed to an end of said outer front with a pair of spaced-apart substantially parallel fracture scores defining a tear strip, said cover iiaps being secured to said end iiaps and said inner front wall member below the lower of said fracture scores, and the tear strips of said cover flaps being secured together in alignment by the tear strips of said terminal extensions.

4. A carton formed of an integral blank cut and scored to provide a bottom member, a rear wall member, and an inner front wall member, end flaps attached to said members and means securing said end aps together, Va cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of said rear Wall member and provided with cover flaps comprising outer end wall members and an outer front wall 111cm-, ber, one of said outer end wall members having a terminal extension overlapped by and aixed to an end of said outer front wall member adjacent thereto and the other end of said front Wall member having a terminal extension overlapped by and atixed to the outer end wall member adjacent thereto, said cover flaps and said terminal extensions each being provided with a pair of spaced-apart substantially parallel fracture scores defining Ia tear strip, said cover aps being secured to said end flaps and said inner front wall member below the lower of said fracture scores, and the tear strips of said cover aps being secured together in alignment by the tear strips of said terminal extensions.

5. A carton formed of an integral blank cut and scored to provide a bottom member, a rear wall member, and an inner front wall member, end flaps attached to said members and means securing said end flaps together, a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of said rear wall member and provided with cover flaps comprising outer end wall members and an outer front wall member, one of said outer end wall members having a terminal extension aflixed to an end of said outer front wall member adjacent thereto and the other end of said front Wall member having a terminal extension axed to the outer end wall member adjacent thereto, said cover tiaps and said terminal extensions each being provided with a air of spaced-apart substantially parallel fracture scores defining a tear strip, said fracture scores comprising a plurality of V-shaped slits each comprising a leg divergent with respect to the center of the tear strip in the direction of tear and terminating in a leg substantially parallel to the direction of tear and defining the outer boundary of said tear strip, said cover flaps being secured to said end iiaps and said inner front Wall member below the lower of said fracture scores, and the tear strips of said cover aps being secured together in alignment by the tear strips of said terminal extensions.

6. A carton formed of an integral blank cut and scored to provide a bottom member, a rear wall member, and an inner front wall member, end flaps attached to said members and means securing said end aps together, a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of said rear wall member and provided with cover flaps comprising outer end wall members and an outer front wall member, one of said outer end wall members having a terminal extension extending in the direction of tear and overlapped by and affixed to an end of said outer front wall member adjacent thereto and the other end of said front wall member having a terminal extension extending in the direction of tear and overlapped by and affixed to the outer end wall member adjacent thereto, said cover flaps and said terminal extensions each being provided with a pair of spaced-apart substantially parallel fracture scores defining a tear strip, said fracture scores comprising a plurality of V-shaped slits each comprising a leg divergent with respect to the center of the tear strip in the direction of tear and terminating in a leg substantially parallel to the direction of tear and dening the outer boundary of said tear strip, said cover iiaps being secured to said end flaps and said inner front wall member below the lower of said fracture scores, and the tear strips of said cover iaps being secured together in alignment by the tear strips of said terminal extensions.

7. A carton formed of an integral blank cut and scored to provide a bottom member, a rear wall member, and an inner front wall member, each of said members having a pair of end flaps, and means securing said end flaps together, a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of said rear wall member and provided with cover aps comprising outer end wall members and an outer front wall member, one of said outer end wall members having 4a terminal extension aiiixed to an end of said outer front wall member adjacent thereto and the other end of said outer front wall member having a terminal extension affixed to the outer end wall `member adjacent thereto, said cover iiaps and said terminal extensions each being provided with a pair of spaced-apart substantially parallel fracture scores dening a tear strip, said cover flaps being secured to said end iiaps and said inner front wall member below the lower of said fracture scores, and the tear strips of said cover iiaps being secured together in alignment by the tear strips of said terminal extensions.

8. A carton formed of an integral blank cut and scored to provide a bottom member, a rear wall member, and an inner front wall member, each of said members having a pair of end iiaps, and means securing said end iiaps together, a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of said rear wall member and provided with cover iiaps comprising outer end wall members and an outer front Wall member, one of said outer end wall members having :a terminal extension aflixed to an end of said outer front wall member adjacent thereto and the other end of said outer front wall member having a terminal extension aixed to the outer end Wall member adjacent thereto, said cover flaps and said terminal extensions each being provided with a pair of spaced-apart substantially parallel fracture scores defining a tear strip, said fracture scores comprising a plurality of V-shaped slits comprising .a leg divergent with respect to the center of the tear strip in the direction of tear and terminating in va. leg substantially parallel to the direction of tear and deiining the outer boundary of said tear strip, said cover aps being secured to said end tiaps yand said inner front wall member below the lower of said fracture scores, and the tear strips of said cover iiaps being secured together in alignment by the tear strips of said terminal extensions.

9. An integral blank cut and scored to provide a carton comprising a bottom member, a rear wall member, and an inner front wall member, each of said members having a pair of end iiaps, and means for securing said end aps together, a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of said rear wall member and provided with cover iiaps comprising outer end wall members and an outer front wall member, two of said cover flaps having terminal extensions adapted to be -aflixed to an adjacent cover flap, said cover flaps and said terminal extensions each being provided with a pair of spaced-apart substantially parallel fracture scores defining a .tear strip, said cover iiaps being adapted to be secured to said end iiaps and said inner front wall member below the lower of said fracture scores, and the tear strips of said cover flaps being yadapted to be adhesively secured together in alignment by the tear strips of said terminal extensions.

10. An integral blank cut and scored to provide a carton comprising a bottom member, a rear wall member, and an inner front Wall member, each of said members having a pair of end flaps, and means adapted to secure said end flaps together, -a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of said rear wall member and provided with cover iiaps comprising outer end wall members and an outer front wall member, one of said outer end Wall members having a terminal extension adapted to be atiixed to lan end of said outer front wall member adjecent thereto and the other end of said outer front Wall member having a terminal extension adapted to be afiixed to an end of the outer end wall member adjacent thereto, said cover flaps ,and said terminal extensions each being provided with a pair of spaced-apart substantially parallel fracture scores defining a tear strip, said cover flaps being adapted to be secured to said end flaps and said inner front wall member below the lower of said fracture scores, and the tear strips of said cover iiaps being adapted to be secured together in alignment by the tear strips of said terminal extensions.

11. An integral blank cut and scored to provide a carton comprising a bottom member, a rear wall member, and an inner front Wall member, each of said members having a pair of end flaps, `and means adapted to secure said end tiaps together, a cover hingedly connected to the upper edge of said rear Wall member and provided with cover flaps comprising outer end wall members and an outer front wall member, one of said outer end wall members having a terminal extension adapted to be overlapped by and axed to an end of said outer front wall member adjacent thereto and the other end of said outer front wall member having a terminal extension adapted to be overlapped by and affixed to the outer end Wall member adjacent thereto, said coveraps and said terminal extensions each being provided with a pair of spaced-apart substantially parallel fracture scores defining a tear strip, said cover aps being adapted to be secured to said end flaps and said inner front Wall member below the lower of said fracture scores, and the tear strips of said cover aps being adapted to be secured together in alignment by the tear strips of said terminal extensions.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,122,885 7/38 Lowey T 229-51 2,218,509 10/40 Goodyear 229-51 3,109,577 11/63 Knipp 229-51 3,111,255 11/63 Skowronsld 229-51 10 GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T, GARRETT, Examiner. 

1. A CARTON FORMED OF AN INTEGRAL BLANK CUT AND SCORED TO PROVIDE A BOTTOM MEMBER, A REAR WALL MEMBER, AND AN INNER FRONT WALL MEMBER, END FLAPS ATTACHED TO SAID MEMBERS, AND MEANS SECURING SAID END FLAPS TOGETHER, A COVER HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID REAR WALL MEMBER AND PROVIDED WITH COVER FLAPS COMPRISING OUTER END WALL MEMBERS AND AN OUTER FRONT WALL MEMBER, TWO OF SAID COVER FLAPS HAVING TERMINAL EXTENSIONS AFFIXED TO AN ADJACENT COVER FLAP, SAID COVER FLAPS AND SAID TERMINAL EXTENSIONS EACH BEING PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF SPACED-APART SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL FRACTURING SCORES DEFINING A TEAR STRIP, SAID COVER FLAPS BEING SECURED TO SAID END FLAPS AND SAID INNER FRONT WALL MEMBER BELOW THE LOWER OF SAID FRACTURING SCORES, AND THE TEAR STRIPS OF SAID COVER FLAPS BEING ADHESIVELY SECURED TOGETHER IN ALIGNMENT BY THE TEAR STRIPS OF SAID TERMINAL EXTENSIONS. 